NJMA received 1.5 billion cedis HIPC fund

The New Juaben Municipal Assembly has been granted 1.5 billion cedis from the HIPC fund and is spending it on a number of projects.

The projects include the construction of a block of six classrooms for the Anglican school at Korle Nkwanta, health centre at Jumapo, nurses quarters at Oyoko, purchasing of six roll-off containers and two incinerators at Akwadum.

Announcing this at the first meeting of the second session of the assembly, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Nana Adjei Boateng, said the assembly also received 3.024 billion cedis as its share of the District Assemblies Common Fund for 2001.

He said 680,032 million cedis was spent to provide markets store/stalls, support the private sector, lorry parks and tourism development.

Nana Boateng said 350.676 million cedis was also spent on building classroom blocks, furniture, water supply and health programmes while administration and environmental management had 461.379 million cedis and 163.439 million cedis respectively.

The assembly is expected to raise a development budget of 5,712 billion cedis for its developmental programmes this year.

He said the assembly exceeded its revenue target for the year.

For 2002 fiscal year the assembly collected from its traditional sources 3.213 billion cedis as against 2.275 billion cedis, representing 170.4 per cent. Nana Boating said Koforidua was to benefit from the supply of streetlights under the 2003 Regional Capital Street Lighting Programme of the Ministry of Energy.

He said under the Municipal Assembly Revolving Credit Fund 870 million cedis was disbursed as loans this year and some of the beneficiaries have started repayment.

On the spraying of cocoa, he said 16,230 hectares have been sprayed with 3,228 farmers benefiting.

He said for year 2003, the assembly's emphasis in the educational sector would be to improve and increase the supply of furniture, number of girls to attend STME, motivation of teachers and completion of classroom blocks.

The Presiding Member of the assembly, Mrs Bernice Beatrice Boateng advised the assembly members to remain politically neutral and work together as a team for the development of the municipality.